“For no particular reason, the purity of Bloodroot blossoms brings a smile to my face.” – Ed Lehming

I have found myself returning to Bloodroot blossoms for as long as they last, which is not long. Perhaps it’s this very brevity that makes them so appealing to me. They bloom spectacularly for a single day. By the next day they are withered or gone completely, dropping their petals as the shroud that encases them opens further.

It’s a fond memory, recalling the first time I ever saw one, a splash of the purest white along the trail. I was really just starting to explore the native wildflowers in my area and had not seen one before, again, it may be simply due to the fleeting nature of the blossoms and my timing. I may simply have missed the narrow window in which they bloom. They also seem to favor some areas more than others, forming small clusters that fill a space and then disappear in the spaces between. There are a few spots that I return to year after year because I’m always assured of some blossoms, provided I time it right.

This year has been a bit odd, they were delayed by the cool and dry conditions, but were plentiful this past weekend when it was a bit warmer. It was so nice to see pristine blossoms like the one pictured here. Again, they are quite delicate and it does not take much to damage or wilt the blossoms, most have sustained some frost damage, but not this one, it’s about as perfect as they come, with the exception of the tiny bug deep inside the blossom, which I did not notice while composing the shot.

Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/160 sec, f/10.0 ISO 200

For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com

Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/160 sec, f/10.0 ISO 200

For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com